All the highlights from Episode 1 of Somizi & Mohale: The Union

One thing you’ll appreciate about the first episode of Somizi & Mohale: The Union is how the couple remained respectful of and true to their traditional cultural practices.

There may have been a few vocal critics of Somizi and Mohale’s union when the couple went public about their relationship three years ago, but no one could deny that their four-part wedding special, which is streaming exclusively on Showmax from 24 February 2020, is a true reflection of not only their love but also the value they place on their cultural and religious practices.

These are just some of our favourite moments from the first episode of Somizi & Mohale: The Union.

Watch: Living the Dream with Somizi Season 5, coming to Showmax on 4 May 2022

The coming together of families

During the process of their traditional wedding, the couple was adamant that they followed all the cultural practices of both their respective cultures. Somizi is Zulu, while Mohale is Sotho.

According to Somizi, it was Mohale who insisted that they follow all protocol that involves the traditional ceremony of Umembeso. Umembeso is a process that involves Somizi’s family bringing gifts for Mohale’s family. Mohale made it clear that this process was not only about the gifts but also about the uniting of families and their ancestors.

#Somhaleunion Somizi's family came bearing gifts to the Motaung Family. They dressed Mohale's family with blankets #Somhalewhitewedding #SomhaleTraditionalWedding pic.twitter.com/PJmS9blmD5

— PopPulse (@PopPulseSA) February 24, 2020

“This part of the wedding is very spiritual and traditional. Everybody has to be in the moment to understand what’s really happening because it involves a lot of my family members receiving gifts from Somizi’s family members and it’s also a lot of connection with the ancestors and the overall unity of both families,” said Mohale.

Somizi’s brother: an overwhelmingly supportive sibling

Mazwe Mhlongo is the second-born to Somizi’s late father. Mazwe did an amazing job of leading the Mhlongo family during the Umembeso process and on the day of the traditional wedding.

Mazwe’s support of Somizi and Mohale was heartwarming to see. He went above and beyond to ensure that his brother and the Mhlongo family were well represented during the entire ceremony.

Somizi communicating with and calling on his ancestors

Before the traditional wedding process took place, Somizi took a moment to burn sage throughout his house as a way of communicating with and thanking his ancestors for having been with him and Mohale throughout this entire journey. 

There were funny moments too – like when Somizi mentioned that he is specifically burning the sage to ensure that he and Mohale are protected from the evil guests who will be attending the wedding. 

Bahumi’s speech

Bahumi’s speech to her father, Somizi, and new stepfather, Mohale, was also a defining moment during the traditional wedding. 

A teary-eyed Bahumi expressed how overjoyed she was to finally see her father experience the happiness he’s always been longing for and that she is thankful to Mohale for bringing such happiness into her father’s life.

What to expect next

New episodes of the four-part series dropped weekly, showing the buildup and planning of the hotly anticipated white wedding, including their amazing bachelor parties. We also hear about how their love story began, and experience some touching moments along the way. The finale takes us right to the heart of the white wedding. All four episodes of the wedding special are available to binge on Showmax now.